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The hydraulic bulge test with micro-samples is expected to be useful in the damage assessment of long-service-period metals to understand the degeneration of their mechanical properties. Since the hydraulic bulge test has a different stress state from the classical uniaxial tensile test, we need to understand their correlation and differences. In this study, the hydraulic bulge test and the uniaxial tensile test are employed to analyze the mechanical properties of three typical metals used in pressure vessels: 316L, 16MnDR, and Q345R. By utilizing Kruglov’s vertex thickness and Panknin’s curvature radius equivalent, the pressure–displacement curves from the hydraulic bulge test are converted into biaxial stress–strain curves. Based on the equivalent plastic energy model, the biaxial stress–strain curves are converted into uniaxial stress–strain curves with an error less than 10% in the strain hardening stage, achieving the unified characterization of mechanical properties under different stress states. Moreover, the hydraulic bulge test provides a more extensive strain hardening stage, and the fracture strains are 9–16.5% larger than those of uniaxial tensile test. This paper provides a reference for using the hydraulic bulge test with micro-samples in studying the mechanical properties and presents the advantages of this novel test method.

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) demonstrate a shape memory effect and superelasticity that can provide recovery performance to structural members. In this study, a round SMA bar was designed to replace the conventional deformed steel bar, particularly within the plastic hinge section of structural members. To integrate the SMA bar and the existing steel bar, a mechanical coupler was proposed by utilizing the advantages of both one-touch and threaded couplers. Uniaxial tensile tests were conducted to analyze the performance of the proposed coupler and the mechanical properties of the SMA–steel connected bar. Stress and strain relationships were examined for steel bars mechanically connected with the SMA bar and for SMA bars before and after exhibiting the shape memory effect. To induce the shape memory effect, SMA should be heated above the finished austenite temperature. Due to the difficulty of accurately measuring strain on the heated bar using traditional contact methods, we employed digital image correlation technology for precise strain measurement of the heated SMA bar. The experimental results indicate the effective application of SMA bars within the plastic hinge region of structural members using the proposed mechanical coupler.

The present work aims at studying the tensile behavior and formability of pre-painted steel sheets. To this purpose, uniaxial tensile and hemispherical punch tests were performed in order to analyze the deformation behavior of pre-painted sheets under uniaxial stretching and biaxial balanced stretching conditions, respectively. Tests were interrupted in order to obtain different strain levels until fracture; at each strain level reached, the occurrence of superficial damages on the paint coating was detected; thinning of the different layers of the pre-painted sheet was also measured. It was observed that the degree of damage on the paint coating depends on the loading condition; in particular, under uniaxial stretching, the paint coating is able to follow the steel sheet during deformation up to the onset of the necking, whilst, under biaxial balanced stretching, coating exhibits superficial damages before fracture of the sheet.

The perforated steel sheets have many uses, so they should be studied under the influence of the uniaxial tensile load. The presence of these holes in the steel sheets certainly affects the mechanical properties. This paper aims at studying the behavior of the stress-strain engineering relationships of the perforated steel sheets. To achieve this, the three-dimensional finite element (FE) model is mainly designed to investigate the effect of this condition. Experimental tests were carried out on solid specimens to be used in the test of model accuracy of the FE simulation. Simulation testing shows that the FE modeling revealed the ability to calculate the stress-strain engineering relationships of perforated steel sheets. It can be concluded that the effect of a perforated rhombus shape is greater than the others, and perforated square shape has no effect on the stress-strain engineering relationships. The efficiency of the perforated staggered or linearly distribution shapes with the actual net area on the applied loads has the opposite effect, as it reduces the load capacity for all types of perforated shapes. Despite the decrease in load capacity, it improves the properties of the steel sheets.

This contribution focuses on examining properties of thin steel sheets, which have been used to produce packages. Thin steel sheets for producing packages have been created with a different method (considering their thickness) than other thin steel sheets, such as sheets for the automobile industry. Steel sheets thinner than circa 0.18 mm are produced with a simple rolling and followed by annealing. Annealing can be completed through a batch process or a continuous process. Steel sheets with a thickness less than 0.13 mm are produced using a second reduction. Taking into account the considerably different strength and plastic properties of the sheets produced with simple rolling and the sheets produced with a second reduction, two types of materials are evaluated and analyzed in this contribution. Examined materials have been produced with different methods: The first material was continuously annealed after being rolled; the second was deformed using a second reduction without any subsequent annealing. Both used materials possess different final properties. The research focused on evaluation of the strength and plastic properties of the packaging sheets during various stress-strain states (uniaxial tensile test and biaxial tensile test—bulge test). The analysis also focused on the factors that led to a lack of inhomogeneity in the plastic deformation, mainly during the uniaxial tensile test causing the localization of the plastic deformation.